Apache National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 and New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 on July 1, 1908 with 1302711 acres (5,271.9 km²) from portions of Black Mesa National Forest

Black Mesa National Forest

Black Mesa National Forest was established as the Black Mesa Forest Reserve by the General Land Office in Arizona on February 22, 1897 with . After the transfer of federal forests to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, it became a National Forest on March 4, 1907...

. In 1974 entire forest was administratively combined with Sitgreaves National Forest

Sitgreaves National Forest

Sitgreaves National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona on July 1, 1908 with from portions of Black Mesa and Tonto National Forests. In 1974 entire forest was administratively combined with Apache National Forest to create Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. The Sitgreaves...

to create Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest

The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is a United States National Forest which runs along the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains in east-central Arizona and extending into New Mexico, USA. Both forests are managed as one unit by USDA Forest Service from the forest headquarters in Springerville,...

. The area of the former Apache National Forest section covers most of Greenlee County, Arizona

Greenlee County, Arizona

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*77.2% White*1.1% Black*2.3% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*15.0% Other races*47.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

 (excepting the southernmost part of the county), southern Apache County, Arizona

Apache County, Arizona

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*23.3% White*0.2% Black*72.9% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.0% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, and part of western Catron County, New Mexico

Catron County, New Mexico

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.8% White*0.4% Black*2.7% Native American*0.2% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*3.7% Other races*19.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

. It is much the larger of the two formerly separate entities. As of 30 September 2008, its area was 1,813,601 acres (7,339.4 km²), representing 68.9% of the combined Apache-Sitgreaves total area. There are local ranger

National Park Ranger

National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...

 district offices in Alpine

Alpine, Arizona

Alpine is an unincorporated community in Apache County, Arizona, United States, in Bush Valley in the east central part of the state. Alpine was settled in 1876 by Anderson Bush who built a log house originally known as "Fort Bush". Bush sold his holdings in 1879 to William Maxwell and Fred...

, Duncan

Duncan, Arizona

Duncan is a town in Greenlee County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 713. It is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area. Duncan is at the juncture of the Gila River and the Arizona-New Mexico state border...

, and Springerville

Springerville, Arizona

Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP code is 85938. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 1,956.Springerville sits at an elevation of 6,974 feet...

. (Springerville is also the headquarters of the combined Apache-Sigreaves.)

External links

• Forest History Society
• Listing of the National Forests of the United States and Their Dates (Forest History Society
  Forest History Society
  The Forest History Society is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of forest and conservation history. The society was established in 1946 and incorporated in 1955....
  
  website) Text from Davis, Richard C., ed. Encyclopedia of American Forest and Conservation History. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company for the Forest History Society, 1983. Vol. II, pp. 743-788.